Missouri’s new Purple Alert system a lifesaving, easy win for Gov. Kehoe | Williams

I don’t often have applause for something that Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe does, but today, I do.

On Tuesday, the governor signed into law legislation proposed to issue a special alert when kids or adults with developmental disabilities go missing in the state. The alert is similar to an Amber Alert and those who proposed the bill said having this law in place will save lives because it fills a critical gap that has existed way too long in the missing person notification system.

The Purple Alert is designed to address the special needs of at-risk individuals who don’t meet the specific age or condition criteria required for Amber Alerts or Silver Alerts. There is not an age limit — minimums or maximums — on the Purple Alert.

I’m all for any law that protects those who are the most vulnerable among us. So, Gov. Kehoe, I applaud you.

The bill, H.B. 1840, was sponsored by Missouri state Rep. Sherri Gallick, a Republican from Cass County. It is now referred to as RJ’s Law and will be overseen by the Department of Public Safety. It’s named for a 4-year-old boy with autism who wandered away from his Belton home and drowned in a nearby pond in 2025.

Gallick, who has worked closely with local workshops for the developmentally disabled, told me she pushed for the law because she’s been told that what happened to RJ happens too often. “It was a missing piece in the puzzle,” Gallick said. “It saves lives and it is important.”

This new alert system — more than notifying first responders, the media and the public about a missing person — would also release specific information needed to more efficiently conduct a search.

Often, people with developmental disabilities — especially children — may not respond to their names or understand instructions from strangers or law enforcement. In cases across the country, not just in Missouri, these situations have ended tragically.

Last year in Pocatello, Idaho, police fatally shot Victor Perez, a 17-year-old who was nonverbal and had autism and cerebral palsy. Victor had wandered away from home. Police shot him through a chain-link fence when they saw him stand up and walk toward them holding a knife.

The Purple Alert bill would not only prepare those searching for a child or an adult to consider the missing person’s developmental challenges, but would also fund training for emergency response teams and law enforcement who might be involved in these types of searches.

And yes, the notification shows up on smartphones in purple and comes with the alarm we’ve come to recognize when a child abduction occurs or an older adult goes missing.

It’s important to note that under this law, developmental disabilities are identified as intellectual or cognitive disabilities, brain injuries or other physical, mental or emotional disabilities not related to substance abuse: Blindness, deafness or autism are some of what might fall under the law.

In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, the Department of Senior Services, Lottery and local law enforcement agencies, the state will iron out all the particulars of how the program will work before July 1, 2027.

Attached to RJ’s Law is partner legislation called Mason’s Law, which allows individuals with medical conditions or disabilities that impair their communication to register their vehicles with the Missouri Department of Revenue. This designation links to MULES, the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System, and would alert officers during a traffic stop so that they can adjust their procedure accordingly.

Off The Vine

Below are stories about culture and identity from communities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Go here to find more from Star reporter J.M. Banks.

An art acquisition by Kansas City Kansas Community College proves to be the highest-priced single work of this local artist’s career.

For eight years Kansas City has celebrated arts and entertainment and excellence in the Black community with the People’s Choice Awards, held last year at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. But things are changing and Banks has the details.

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Your voice matters to us. What local issues do you want to hear discussed in On The Vine? Let me, Mará Rose Williams, The Star’s senior opinion columnist, know directly at mdwilliams@kcstar.com Thank you for reading.

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